(Story Courtesy of University of St. Thomas Sports Information Department)
HOUSTON, Texas -- University of St. Thomas Athletic Director Todd Smith announced the promotion of Jarrick Wright as the Head Coach of UST's Track and Field Program. Since joining the program in 2019 as an assistant coach, Wright has helped the Celts reach new heights by improving their SCAC final placement each season.
"I would like to thank Athletic Director Todd Smith and the University of St. Thomas for trusting me with the Track and Field Program," Coach Wright said. "Working alongside Coach [Ryan] Dohner, I look forward to pushing this program even further."
Wright's Way
As a former student-athlete, Wright comes to UST with a wealth of experience as a Division I NCAA Regional qualifier in the short sprints for Sam Houston State University. As a four-year member of Bearkat Track, he received All-Southland Honors in the 4x100 Relay for three seasons. Wright then graduated from Sam Houston State University in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology. He then worked as a Healthy Living Manager for the YMCA before joining Celt Track and Field.
Wright joined the UST Track and Field staff in 2019 as a volunteer coach. Then in the spring of 2021, Wright was named assistant Track and Field coach with an emphasis on sprints and jumps. He also prioritized recruiting and bringing high-quality student athletes to the program. These experiences prepared him for the role of head coach.
"Coach Wright has worked extremely hard to build and grow our Track and Field program during its first few years of existence," Smith said. "His passion every day for the sport, his student-athletes and the University of St. Thomas is why promoting him was an easy decision! We are proud of our Track and Field student-athletes and their accomplishments, but still have a lot of work to do to become more competitive in the SCAC and nationally. Coach Wright is right for the job!"
Continued Success Now into the Future
This season, Coach Wright assisted in the improvement of the Celt track team as they achieved 21 combined All-SCAC honors. Most notably, the Celts had six team members receive All-Region honors for the first time, accompanying three gold medals won at the SCAC meet. In addition, freshman Ebonee Nation was named SCAC Women's Athlete and Newcomer of the Year. She is the second athlete in conference history to receive both honors. With these accomplishments, the Celt Track Program looks forward to a winning 2023-2024 season.
"Thank you to the track team for trusting the work and patience to build this program," Coach Wright said. "I'm excited to continue making our mark in the SCAC and NCAA!"
Coach Wright will begin his duties as the Head Coach of Celt Track and Field on July 1 in the Jerabeck Activity and Athletics Center. For more information on UST Track, visit www.ustcelts.com.
